The grounds are open from dawn to dusk. The Visitors Center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays and holidays. Call 740-323-2355 or 800-44-DAWES for information or visit www. dawesarb.org.

Pancake Breakfast - Thurston. The Thurston-Walnut Township Fire Department will hold an allyou can-eat pancake breakfast on Saturday, January 17, at 8474 High Street, Thurston, from 8 a.m. to noon. Suggested donations are $5 for adults and $3 for children. The menu includes pancakes, sausage, eggs, biscuits and sausage gravy, orange juice, coffee, tea, and milk. Firefighters will answer your questions about smoke/CO detectors, blood pressure/sugar checks, medication list, or other concerns. You may also purchase/order T-shirts and reflective address signs which help firefighters find your property in case of an emergency.

Martin Luther King Jr. Service- Lancaster. Participants will march at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, January 19 from the bandstand in downtown Lancaster to the First Presbyterian Church for the 1 p.m. service. Kendall Lee of the Ohio School Board Association is the keynote speaker.

LCAP Comedy Fling - Newark.Local comedian Dave Lehman wis the headline attraction at the Jan. 23 Comedy Fling at Zerger Hall Senior Center. The monthly Fling series features entertainment and a full-compliment meal for senior citizens. The program begins at 11 a.m. The Fling lunch menu will be roast pork and gravy, macaroni and cheese, succotash, rolls, beverages and a variety of cakes for dessert. There is no charge for the dinner but donations are accepted.

Seniors can reserve their meal by calling Zerger Hall's nutrition department at 345-0821 or 1-800-452-0097. You can inquire about transportation at the same time. Zerger Hall, located at 745 E. Main St., is the headquarters of the Licking County Aging Program, the chief older-adult agency in the area. LCAP provides home services, home chore maintenance, transportation, meals, respite, daily smilemaker calls to senior shut-ins, and a variety of educational and recreational programs.

Canal History - Newark. The Works is hosting an illustrated lecture titled "Riding the Silver Ribbon: The Rise and Fall of The Ohio & Erie Canal," on Sunday, January 18th at 2:00 p.m. Ohio author and historian, Aaron Keirns will be the speaker. The presentation will focus on The Ohio & Erie Canal, a hand-dug channel that ran across the state of Ohio from top to bottom, connecting Lake Erie to the Ohio River. The canal passed through Licking County and downtown Newark. Keirns is the author of three books on Ohio history and serves as director of communications at The Works.

Sunday's lecture begins at 2:00 p.m. and will last 45 minutes to an hour. The public is invited; no registration required. Admission to the lecture includes access to the entire museum. The cost is $7 for adults, $3 for children and $5 for seniors (55+). Members of The Works are admitted free.

Pack of Lies - Licking CountyPlayers, Newark. Pack of Lies, by English playwright Huge Whitemore, is the third show of the season for Licking County Players. Written in 1983, the play is based on a true centering on Bob and Barbara Jackson and their daughter, Julie, a television reporter and newspaper journalist in the UK. The Jacksons are friendly with their neighbors until the couple is arrested and charged with espionage. Are the friendly and outgoing neighbors really spies? Or is it a big mistake or even a clever setup by the government? The tense drama is sure to warm up a cold winter with suspense and a surprise ending? Performances: Jan. 15, 16, 17, 22, 23 and 25 at 8 p.m. and Jan 18 and 25 at 2 p.m. Tickets prices are adults = $13, seniors (55+) - $11, students - $11 and child (under 12) - $8. For tickets or more information call (740) 349-ACTS or visit www.lickingcountyplayers.org.

The Midland Theatre - Newark.Tickets are available at the box office, 36 N. Park Place in Newark, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and one hour prior to the show; calling (740) 345-LIVE; or online at www.midlandtheatre. org.

• The Second City Touring Company: Friday, January 30, 8:00 p.m. Tickets: $50, $40, $30 and $20.The Lively Arts Series completes with Second City Touring Company's legendary blend of comedy theatre. Performing a special medley of classic scenes, songs, and cutting-edge improvisation, the Second City Touring Company is always original, daring, and hilarious. This is a chance to see comedy stars in the making, as their alumni list is a veritable "Who's Who" of comedy. Warning: Adult content. and language.

Music

The Local Girls - MidlandTheatre, Newark. "Precision harmony" and "a breath of fresh air" are just a few descriptions used to describe The Local Girls who will perform Friday, January 16, at 8 p.m. as part of at The Midland Theatre's Stage Door Cabaret Series. The Local Girls' popularity is anything but local. The Athens, Ohio-based trio's three-part harmony and engaging delivery has won them fans across the Midwest and even at the White House.

Set in a nightclub atmosphere, with artists and audience set together on stage, the Stage Door Cabaret Series is a more intimate setting to experience a show. Ticket price includes an appetizer buffet beginning one hour prior to showtime and a cash bar is available.

Tickets are $27.50 and include the appetizer buffet. . Tickets can be purchased by calling 740-345- LIVE (5483) or ar the box office from Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, and one hour before the performance. Tickets are also available online at www.midlandtheatre. org. Please note: add $2 to each ticket for handling and historic preservation fees.

Sweet Serenades - Newark-Granville Symphony Orchestra. Join the orchestra at 8 p.m. on January 24 at Newark's Midland Theatre. "Sweet Serenades" will be a concert sure to tug the heart strings. Melting away the winter chill just in time for Valentine's Day, the orchestra will perform two of the world's most beautiful and romantic serenades and include feature performances by Stan Warren, tenor, and Kim McCann, horn soloist. For tickets, call 740/345- LIVE (5483). For more information visit www.ngsymphony.org.

The Columbus Symphony:Classical Series - Columbus. January 16-18, at the Ohio Theatre, Friday-Saturday 8 p.m. and Sunday 3 p.m.. For ticket prices and availability call (614) 228-9600, or visit www.columbussymphony. com. Join us as we sample three great composers whose ideas have shaped the symphonic form as we know it today. Handel's Concerto Grosso in G major serves as a precursor to the modern symphony, while Beethoven's Symphony No. 2 is a perfect example of a classic symphony. Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 concludes the evening and gives great example to the full blossoming of the modern symphonic form.